LIVE REVIEW: Lacuna Coil @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
Over the past two decades, Milanese metallers LACUNA COIL have become one of Italy’s finest musical exports. Their fanbase (affectionately referred to as “Coilers” by the band) has grown exponentially over time and in turn so has their dedication. And this has been evidenced with all five UK dates of the Black Anima European Tour selling out. London’s O2 Forum in Kentish Town is playing host to the five-piece tonight, and they’ve brought a couple of special guests along as support and for the gathered masses to enjoy.
Moldova is seldom referred to as a breeding ground for heavy music, but openers INFECTED RAIN are putting their home on the map as they shower the early arrivals in attendance with their beguiling mix of modern metalcore and nu-djent. Frontwoman Elena Cataraga moves over every inch of available stage space, windmilling and throwing herself into the crowd like a raging neon explosion. The addictive mayhem that ensues belies any underlying sense of trepidation, this is the band’s debut live appearance in the capital, so the vocalist’s admission that she felt “so very nervous” beforehand is genuinely hard to fathom. There’s a thunderous intensity to songs from current album Endorphin; the riff-drenched Black Gold and Lure both seethe with vitriol whilst elsewhere huge singalong choruses and haunting synths temper the moments of aggression. Inter-band bonhomie is clearly alive tonight too with LACUNA COIL axeman Diego Cavallotti stepping in on guitar duties. For the uninitiated, it’s an INFECTED RAIN performance that leaves a lasting impression.
Rating: 7/10
In terms of genre conventions, Swiss nine-piece ELUVEITIE are a gloriously bewildering contradiction fusing heavy metal with traditional folk whilst delving into a pandora’s box of instruments. Everything from the flute to the lesser-known hurdy-gurdy makes an appearance during their set and a Celtic spoken word interlude towards the end is the jump-off for the bagpipes to be whipped out. Over the past few years, their lineup has become something of a revolving door with members coming and going, but this current incarnation is indicative of a band at the top of their sonic game. The majority of set material comes from latest release Ategnatos and there’s an incredible sense of musical depth; heavier appetites are whetted via frontman Chrigel Glanzmann’s death metal growls during the likes of Deathwalker and Worship but there’s also this elemental sense of Tolkien atmosphere at play. An ethereal acapella has flame-haired chanteuse Fabienne Erni taking centre-stage and her soaring range consistently enthrals the onlookers. Intense and equally inviting, ELUVEITIE continue to surpass folk-metal boundaries.
Rating: 8/10
LACUNA COIL’s enticing hybrid of goth, groove and alternative has served them well over the years, pushing them towards the upper echelons of modern metal since their 1994 inception. The release of ninth record Black Anima last month has seen the quintet shifting the paradigm once again, upping the ante whilst pushing both the sonic envelope and themselves creatively and emotionally. One thing that has not changed however, is the Italians’ live presence and an unwavering ability to hold a crowd in the palm of their collective hands. Decked out in face paint and hooded black outfits, the visual aesthetics are suitably theatrical as they plunge headfirst into a ferocious rendition of Blood, Tears, Dust.
Juddering riffs and sprawling solos lead the brutal assault with co-vocalist Andrea Ferro’s gravel-laced rasps offset by Cristina Scabbia’s soft cleans. An addictive salvo of Trip the Darkness and Our Truth quickly follows suit with both songs packing enough colossal hooks and goth-drenched atmosphere to get completely lost in; both vocalists are engaging, frequently encouraging this audience to throw the horns and raise their voices. As one might expect, material from latest offering Black Anima is well represented with five songs being showcased this evening. The anthemic sprawl of Sword Of Anger, earworm Reckless and first single Layers Of Time combine irrepressible melodies and ear-catching grooves capturing that quintessential LC essence. On the latter, Scabbia and Ferro lead their dual attack with devastating power, her crystalline voice soars to new heights ahead of that massive chorus. DEPECHE MODE cover Enjoy the Silence ensures the set is rounded off in hair-raising fashion before a four-song encore (including timeless cut Heavens A Lie and singalong staple Nothing Stands in Our Way) reduces this venue to a swaying and jumping mass of bodies. With London conquered, once again LACUNA COIL have proven that they fear nothing – here’s to the next twenty years.
Rating: 9/10
